May 21, 2013 - 1st full day in Boston

We were up early this morning looking for somewhere for breakfast and found a lovely local cafe. We had coffee and their breakfast bagels,yum yum. This isn't a holiday for losing weight.After brekkie we walked into central Boston and visited Boston common a lovely park with the famous swan boats. As Ginny hasn't got her walking shoes yet we took a bus tour of the Boston to get a feel for the city which included a harbour cruise.

May 17, 2013 - Boston day 2

Our second day began with a visit to the JFK Library. There is a special exhibit commemorating 50 years since the Cuban Missile Crisis. You can hear recordings JFK secretly made of the group debating whether to use nuclear force. We wandered and admired Boston's beautiful architecture. I also like the pedestrian friendly traffic. Cars know their place, unlike in Australia. It makes for pleasant strolling. Our hotel is just where the bombings occurred, and there are several impromptu memorials, 2 examples are in the photos here. The slogan...

May 16, 2013 - Springfield Museums

Once again - a Plan B day - but it turned out to be a wonderful plan. We originally planned to go to Amherst to visit the Carle Picture Book Museum and then to the Yiddish Book Center. Good thing we called to find out times for tours because today was a Jewish holiday and the Book Center was closed. It's on the list for next year. Plan B - a trip to Springfield to the Museum Quadrangle. For the price of $10 senior ( $15 adult) we gained entrance to 4 out of 5 museums ( one was closed for renovation) and the Seuss Sculpture Garden. A...

May 16, 2013 - Boston

We arrived around midday to a warm, sunny day. After checking in, we grabbed some lunch and ate it in Boston Common, and it seemed around half of Boston joined us. It is a beautiful park, and guess what flowers are blooming? I never thought I would tire of tulips, but surely there are other bulbs for a change. We have seen them en masse in every public garden everywhere we have been. We then walked along the Freedom Trail, which takes you past many historic sites to do with the Boston massacre, the war and Declaration of Independence. We...

May 9, 2013 - Thursday Morning Club Luncheon

Every other Thursday a group of women , forty to fifty strong, meet for social and service purposes. They are known as the Thursday Morning Club and they are one of the most charitable organizations in Great Barrington. The last meeting before summer break is always a luncheon . I was Maria's guest today and was proud to watch her present a check for $2,000 to the local EMT crew who needed new pagers/phones. They were so appreciative of the financial support they received from the club. The women also have a scholarship program and a...

Apr 2, 2013 - Day One - Boston

Good Evening from Boston. After a lot of travel (and I must emphasise the 'lot') we have arrived safely in the USA. We arrived in Boston around midday USA time and travelled to our hotel. We dropped our bags quickly as we only had this evening in Boston to take in the sights before moving the tour to New York City. We managed to get 48 people onto the Boston Trolley down to central Boston and visited the food and market stalls of Quincy Marketplace. The kids managed to taste a vast array of America cuisine which consisted of meat with...

Jan 8, 2013 - Old home part 2

Unfortunately, our first day was a wash. Instead of the Dodge minivan, they only had a Ford Explorer, which was better (they told us). Much more gas with the trip we're taking, and half the cargo room. Not better. So we waited about six more hours for the minivan, that we actually have now. Packing is a nightmare...for Lisa; she's done 90% of it--the 10% I did is tools, oils, and planning (however, I did keep working my full-time job until last night). I tend to get more derailed by my loss of focus, than any real obstacle. And so I press...

Jan 7, 2013 - Old home part 1

Renting a 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan for one week. Our 1997 Buick LeSabre Limited died December 23, 2012 of a transmission attack in Orange, MA, on our way to Esther and Chubby's house. Car towed to their house in Hinsdale, NH, where it was operated on, and later pronounced dead. It looked great, and was a strong soul, but had major organ failure. We pressed on, with our first car rental. Our second car rental lasted the next week, until January 7, when we transferred to our third and somewhat final car rental: the Dodge minivan, which became...

Dec 14, 2012 - Montreal and Boston!

I spent a rather lovely couple of days in Montreal with Alex. He was such a generous host, letting me stay in his bed while he took the couch, taking me for dinner at his parents' house and generally being very nice in every way. His flatmates were the same: they didn't shy away from my rather rusty French or the fact that a lot of the words are something different in Quebecois anyway. A couple of them actually relished the chance to speak some English with me as Laval where they live is very French and it's rare for people to really speak...

Nov 12, 2012 - Oooops, 11 months has passed since our last entry...............

So as we approach our 10 month anniversary (by the time I have finished this, we have passed 15 months), it is clear to all, that we have neglected our blogging duties. Since our last post, much has happened, The first thing to mention is that our first winter was exceptionally mild. We had a few coverings of snow, but each lasted only a couple of days. Each house is responsible for clearing the snow from the path outside, and I was looking forward to having to buy a snow blower to make it easy (boys can never have too many toys!!)....

Nov 5, 2012 - Harvard Yard

Since Harvard University was only 20 minutes away on public transport, I thought I would visit and see what all of the fuss was about. And the stories are true. The Harvard campus, especially Harvard Yard is quite beautiful. From the Johnston Gate (main entrance) to the Widener Library, the buildings stand as they have for the last couple of hundred years and it is easy to imagine the knowledge that has passed from one generation to another within them.

Nov 3, 2012 - Witches of Salem

While in Boston, I thought it was a waste not to visit Salem which is only about a hour north. What most people don't realise is that Salem is a gorgeous sea side town and was a major port until bigger ports were built further south. Although it is famous for the Salem witch trials of 1692-3 there is not much here to see. It is unknown where those who were found guilty are buried although there is a memorial in the graveyard. The Salem graveyard is also one of the oldest in America and had some interesting gravestones like that of Colonel...